A.N.- This is based more off of the movie than the book (I have reasons for this okay). I hope you guys still like it though, I've had this in my mind for a long time. I was inspired by a certain couple. So, here you go. Enjoy. Or cry. Or both
A new greenie had come up that day and Alby was giving him the tour. Of course he asked the question that almost every other greenbean had asked. "Why aren't there any girls here?" The greenie asked, glancing around at all the gladers.
"The creators have never sent up a girl before." Alby explained, trying his best to sound honest.
"Why not?" This greenie was curious, he had more questions than usual.
"I'm not sure but trust me greenie, it's better this way." Alby said quietly. "Well, let's continue, shall we?" Alby tried to sound unaffected by the subject as he guided the new boy to the homestead. He couldn't help but let his eyes flicker over to his best friend who was working in the fields, Newt. He watched as the blond boy worked quietly, diligently. He felt his heart flood with sympathy for the guy before he tried to forget all the memories that had been dug up by one simple question.
The truth was, the creators had sent up a girl before. One. But they never, ever, talked about her, for his sake.
Her name had been Bella and she was a tiny spark of light. She couldn't be taller than 5'3 or 5'4, and she had long hair that was always just a little bit messy. She was the one person that kind of lifted their spirits, she made them forget about the situation and made them actually smile and laugh every once in a while. She had been the first one to keep them all together. She was one of the firsts, along with Newt, Gally, Alby, and George. Alby got the credit for being the leader, but really the five of them had built this place up from the ground. Alby, George, and Gally had worked hard every day, making sure they had food, water, shelter: making sure they could survive while Newt and Bella ran the maze.
It all started when Bella got curious about the maze. She thought that maybe they could find a way out somehow, she was convinced that they weren't just supposed to stay there forever. One day, she and Newt sat right outside the maze doors, trying to figure out how much time they had from when the doors opened to the time they closed...
"So you're telling me you want to go out there, into the unknown, and run around all day looking for a way out?" Newt asked the girl, who was lying down on the floor, her limbs and hair spread out around her.
"Yup." She said, sitting up and looking over at him."Don't you want to remember? Don't you want to leave?"
"Of course, but for all we know there is no way out." He pointed out, smirking at her. She just shook her head, glancing out into the unknown labyrinth.
"Well, we'll never know unless we look." She said quietly. A few moments later, a big gust of wind came and the doors slowly creaked shut.
"So, that would be about ten hours, give or take one." She said, standing up and dusting her knees off. She walked in front of Newt and smiled down at him, her hands on her hips. "Let's go make a game plan, Newt." She said with a determined little smile.
It had been a long day, and even a long night, but Newt wasn't tired. He sat in the deadheads, his knees bent up to his chest and his arms laying over top of them. His eyes were glazed over, staring straight ahead at the walls of the maze. The glade was silent, which was rare, but it didn't help Newt clear his mind. If anything, his thoughts were even more clear. They were unavoidable.
He still remembered the sound of her voice...
"Geez Newt, try and keep up!" She teased as she ran a few feet ahead of him.
"Bells, you know you're just gonna tire yourself out." He said. She looked over her shoulder and shook her head, a proud smile on her lips.
"Not gonna happen."
But, sure enough, fifteen minutes later Newt was still at the same pace and Bella was a few paces behind. He slowed down and waited for her to catch up before stopping altogether.
"So much for never gonna happen, speed machine." Newt teased as they walked around the rest of the maze, taking a break. She just laughed good heartedly and Newt couldn't help but smile at the sound of her laughter echoing off the maze walls. "You know, I'd lose it if it weren't for you Bella." He said quietly as they continued walking around, studying the maze.
"What do you mean?" She looked over at him, her eyes wide.
"I don't know, you just give me hope or something. It sounds stupid, but you're like... the thing that's gonna keep us together. You make everyone forget the bad stuff." He said, looking down at her. She smiled up at him happily, before grabbing his hand in hers.
"Thanks, I try. Now come on, let's head back." She let go of his hand and sprinted away towards the trail they'd left. Newt just watched her for a few seconds before running after her to catch up.
"Hey man, you alright?" Alby whispered, sitting down beside him. didn't look at his best friend, he just nodded. He didn't want to speak, he didn't trust his voice. "I noticed you showed the greenie around at the fire tonight." His friend said. Newt sighed, looking down at the grass and swallowing the lump in his throat. He took a sip of his jar, emptying the last of it before turning towards his friend.
"Yeah, he's alright." A moment of silence passed between the two of them as they both thought about the same thing, or the same person. "I just think about her a lot, so I come out here. Not a lot of people remember her." There was only him, gally, Alby, and Winston at that time. The others had been lost along the way.
"I know. She was important Newt, don't worry, we remember that. We remember her. Just don't stay out here too long, alright?" Alby said, standing up and putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Newt nodded and Alby walked away silently, sparing one last glance at his friend.
Newt sighed and ran a hand through his hair before throwing his head back and looking at the stars. Hell, even the stars reminded him of her. There wasn't a single thing in the glade she had left untouched. He remembered the times they had spent at night, looking up at the sky...
The night was quiet, the wind was blowing slightly and the maze creaked quietly but there was nothing big to distract them. Everything was just background noise. Newt's hand was laced with hers, laying between the two of them as they stared up at the stars. Well, as she stared up at the stars. He kept glancing towards her, watching her smile peacefully as she connected the dots in her head, like constellations.
"I love the stars." She whispered after a while, turning to look at him. "I remember them. There's just so many of them, you know? And their all different. They're just amazing." She said quietly, turning and looking back up at the stars. Newt didn't say anything, he just watched as she smiled again and stared up at the sky. He didn't understand how she could stay so optimistic and positive and still smile all the time when they were trapped and stripped of their memories. There was something about her that just made it easier.
He sat up, letting go of her hand and crossing his arms over his knees as he pulled them to his chest, looking at the walls of the maze. He heard her shift and soon she was sitting beside him, a hand on his shoulder. "Newt?"
"How do you do it, Bells?" He asked, turning to her. His voice was low and sad but he didn't care. " You smile all the time and I don't get how you do it. You're not angry or upset that we're trapped in this prison?" His voice turned bitter, filled with venom as he thought about how his life had been taken from him.
"Of course I'm upset." She said quietly. He glanced at her and for the first time, he could see that she felt the same way. She was sad. She was angry. "I don't remember my life, my memories have been taken away, and I'm trapped behind these walls. But that's why I wanted to run the maze. I want to find a way out. I can't sit here and not do anything." She said, glancing out at the cement walls int he distance. "Besides, somebody's gotta bring the sunshine." She said quietly, a small smile pulling at her lips before fading. He nodded and the two of them sat in silence for a while.
"You know, the only good thing about this is that I have you." Newt said quietly, glancing at the ground as he spoke. The truth was Newt had grown attached to Bella. He felt something deep towards her, he couldn't describe it. He knew it wasn't the right place or time to fall in love, but he was afraid he didn't have control over it. He felt her fingers intertwine themselves with his hand once more and he looked up to see her smiling over at him.
"That's true. That's the one thing I can be grateful for." She said quietly before leaning in and pecking her lips against his. It was quick and brief, it only lasted seconds, but Newt could feel something between them. He felt the light inside of her, he felt all the good in her. And he felt the feelings they had for one another. She pulled back and smiled at him before scooting closer and leaning her head into his shoulder. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as the maze creaked around them and the night sounds continued.
It might've been selfish but Newt was glad Bella was in the maze. She was special.
Newt stood up, walking silently back to the homestead. He knew it'd be a long day and he had to at least try to sleep. He spent most nights avoiding sleep because every time he shut his eyes and drifted off, she somehow invaded everything. He could hear her laugh, echoing off the maze walls, or he'd feel like her hand was wrapped up in his again. Or worse, he'd feel the way her lips felt underneath his, soft, small, warm, and always in a smile. He could never wake up the next morning from a dreamless sleep. It wasn't possible.
He threw himself on the bed anyhow, and did his best to think of anything but her as he faded into sleep and closed his eyes...
"Newt?" He heard her voice, a hushed whisper, from behind a tree. He turned around to see her poking her head out from one of the trees in the forest, smiling as he walked towards her.
"Minho said you were looking for me. What did you need?" He asked, walking towards her. She stepped out from behind the tree and grabbed his hand, dragging him deeper into the deadheads.
"Come on, I want to show you something." She said, pulling him into the trees. After a while of walking, she stopped and stood in front of a small building in the forest.
"What is this?" He asked, stepping inside the hut.
"Gally's been working on it with me. It's got a ways to go, but maybe this could be the runner's hut." She said, standing in the middle of the room, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "I was thinking that we need somewhere to come and strategize. Like, if we map the maze and draw the maze while we run it, we can come back here and connect our drawings, you know? We can figure out what the maze really looks like after we get all the pieces, and in no time we'll be out." She said quietly, glancing around at the tiny stick walls. It wasn't much and Newt was sure they'd expand it and change it, but she looked pretty proud of it so he smiled and walked towards her.
"It's great, Bella." He said quietly. She just smiled and closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist and settling her head on his chest. Newt froze for a second, not sure what to do. They'd hugged before but never this affectionately or intimately. Bella showed no signs of moving, so Newt just wrapped his arms around her and held her closer, retsing his cheek on her head. She was the only good thing that kept him going some days.
"Hey Newt?" She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes wide. She walked backwards until she was leaning against a table in the middle of the room. "What do you think about me?"
"What do you mean?" He asked, walking closer to where she stood. She just shrugged and looked down.
"I don't know, I mean... how do you feel about me?" She asked quietly, looking up at him. He was close to her, a few inches away.
"Bella, I care about you more than myself most times. You're really... important to me. Special. It's hard to explain it." Newt said quietly, looking down at the girl. She slowly processed his words, her eyes flickering up to his and a tiny smile curved onto her lips.
"You're special too Newt." She whispered, before leaning up onto her toes and pressing her lips against his, surprising him.
Newt woke up with a start, his forehead hot and his heart beating fast. It was still dark outside but he could see the sun just poking up into the sky. He groaned and closed his eyes again. Of course he dreamed about her again. There was never a night when he didn't. But it was so vivid, so real. It was a memory, one from a long time ago but he couldn't help but wish it were just a dream. Sometimes he wished Bella was never real. Sometimes he wished he never knew her. It'd be easier than this.
He got up, knowing sleep was pointless by that time. He walked out of the homestead and started walking around the fields, trying to get his mind off of everything.
"Hey Newt. How was your night?" Minho asked quietly as the blonde boy walked up to the runners.
"It was fine." Newt replied quietly, glancing at his friend. The look on Minho's face made it clear that he didn't believe the second in command but he let it go.
"Good. I'll see you later." He said before jogging off with Ben towards the doors of the maze. Newt watched as the two runners got ready by the doors of the maze.
He watched as they ran into the doors, looking at the tall, cement doors and remembering the one memory he tried his best to forget...
"There." Newt said as he finished helping Bella pull herself up the wall. She got to her feet and smiled over at him.
"Thanks Newt." She said, walking around him and looking at the walls that surrounded them. That day they had decided to climb up the walls and see if they could find a way out from above. They couldn't reach the top but they were pretty high up. Newt and Bella looked around, amazed at the new discovery. There were solid tops to walk across as far as the eye could see, all of them ranging in height. It looked so cold and hard, the maze was just so lifeless.
They continued walking around, observing all the details.
"Wait." Bella said quietly. She was a few steps behind Newt by that point. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what Bell?" Newt asked, looking back at her. She looked scared and confused.
"Uh, nothing. I just thought I heard something." She said quietly. Newt looked ahead and began walking again. They were getting close to another ledge and would probably have to climb down soon.
"Yeah, the maze can do that to you someti-"
"Newt look out!" That's all Newt heard before something slammed into his back, sending him flying off the large wall. He screamed, grabbing onto the ivy that hung from the wall and holding himself up. He glanced down at the concrete that was more than 15 feet below him and thought about what could've happened if he would have fallen that far. Bella's scream ripped him from his thoughts. He'd never heard anything like it before. She sounded scared, terrified even, and in agonizing pain. Worst of all, she was screaming his name, over and over again.
"Bella!" He yelled as he started pulling himself up the ivy. Suddenly, her screaming stopped and there was no more sound. "Bella!?" He yelled, worried. No response. "Bella, please, answer me!" When there was still no response, he began to panic. He started climbing up the vines as fast as he could, the only thing on his mind right now was her. Bella came into view as he hauled himself over the side of the ledge. Newt almost threw up when he saw the front of her shirt, drenched in blood. Her blood. She was pale and looked faint and sick. "Bella" His voice was broken as he walked over to where she laid on the ground.
He knew from the second he saw her it was bad. Her shirt was too red, and it was only getting worse. She wasn't responding to him, she was in shock. He finally reached her and picked her head up, placing it in his lap as he kneeled next to her. She lookd up at him and he felt his eyes flood with tears, hot and fast as he ran a hand through her messy hair. "It's gonna be okay Bells, you're gonna be okay." Newt said, trying to keep his voice steady. She just smiled up at him which broke his shook her head as she reached for his hand and he had to choke back a sob as he watched that light that she had, that light that she loved, fade out from her eyes.
"Don't lie to me Newt." She said quietly, looking up at him and smiling. He just nodded and bit his lip, trying to stay strong for her. He had to, she deserved it. She closed her eyes briefly before slowly opening them, looking beyond him at the sky. "Newt, you're gonna get out of here, okay? You're gonna get out one day, you have to. I know it." She looked back at him and reached a hand out, cupping his cheek and running her thumb over his skin. He leaned into her touch as he blinked the tears from his eyes and he could feel his heart shattering. "You're strong Newt. You can do it. I believe in you, okay?" He opened his eyes and he felt sick as he looked down at her. She was already so gone, so weak and tired. He could see it in her eyes.
"I need to go get you help." His voice was shaky and it cracked in a few places and she just closed her eyes sadly.
"Newt, we both know how this is going to end." Her voice was sad, defeated, and how could it not be? He felt his heart breaking as he watched her, dying in his arms. She wasn't the love of his life, she wasn't his soul mate, but he loved her. He loved her more than words could say and he needed her more than anything or anyone and she was dying in his bloody arms in this shucking maze.
"God Bella, I'm so sorry." He couldn't stay strong for her as he choked out those words. Fresh tears trailed down his cheeks and he couldn't really think because everything just hurt beyond what he thought was possible.
"Don't be, Newt. I'll be alright." Her voice was soft, he knew it wouldn't be long now. "If there's one thing I can be grateful for, it's that I got the chance to love you, Newt." She whispered softly, staring up at him. Newt let a sob escape before biting his lip and nodding, watching as her eyes blinked heavily. He tried his best to smile for her as he let out a bitter, hollow laugh. It just wasn't fair.
"I loved you too, you know." Newt said, brushing a piece of her hair out of her face. It tore him apart to watch as the light that they needed was being taken away, second by second, drained from this girl he had grown to love and care about.
"I know you did. You gotta be the one to keep them together now, alright? I'm putting you in charge of my spot." She smiled softly up at him and he couldn't help but let out a few cries as he nodded, holding her tighter in his arms.
"I'll try my best Bells." She nodded, and she was hanging on and fighting for every breath and Newt just couldn't believe this was happening. She blinked again, her eyes staying shut for seconds before fluttering open, slowly. She looked up at him one last time and smiled, lacing their fingers together one last time. She slowly brought their hands up to her mouth and pressed her lips against his fingers, still smiling.
"Thank you, for everything." He knew what she meant. She was thanking him for trusting her, caring about her, loving her, running with her, and most of all, staying with her even though it'd haunt him forever.
"Thank you, love." Newt whispered. He watched as her eyes fluttered shut and he pulled her body up towards him, pressing one last gnetle kiss against her forehead before she sighed and her hand went limp in his. By the time he placed her back down, he knew she was gone. He gently placed her head on the pavement and let go of her hand before turning away from her. He placed his hands over his face as he sat, his knees to his forehead, and it hit him. She was really gone. And she was never coming back.
"Hey shank, time to get working." Alby said as he walked up to Newt. He always made it a point to see the runners off in the morning. There was no guarantee they'd all be back.
"Yeah, I know." Newt said quietly, his eyes still on the maze doors. Alby sighed and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"It's been harder on you than usual this week. What's up?" Newt stayed silent as the sounds of the glade surrounded them.
"It's been two years." He said quietly, looking over at the leader. Alby's face turned solemn and he nodded, retracting his hand.
"I'm sorry. I should've remembered that." Alby said, looking over at his best friend.
"S'alright. I wish I didn't remember, actually." Newt said quietly, looking down at the ground.
"I know it's hard, man. I know you loved her. But she'd want you to move on, she'd want you to be happy and get out. Besides, since she left, you're the one that keeps us together, the same way she used to. She'd be proud of you." Alby said. Newt forced a small smile onto his lips as he nodded.
"Yeah, thanks Alby." The other boy just nodded before walking away, back towards the homestead. Newt sighed and looked up as the sun began to peek its way out from behind some clouds. Sometimes he liked to think when the wind blew a certain way or when the night sky was clear and the stars stood out or the sun shined onto the glade just right, he liked to think that she was watching. He smiled and gave one last look at the maze.
"I miss you Bells." He whispered to himself. He could almost hear her laughter and see her, running just a few feet ahead of him, looking back with a smile on her face. That was the way he'd always remember her.
Her name was Bella. She was a small thing but she brought a goodness to the glade. She was the light in the dark times they faced in the beginning. Other boys remembered her, and other boys loved her, but none the way Newt did. So they never brought her up, for his sake. But Newt knew that one day, he'd see her again and she'd be just the same old Bells with the same old smile and that same old spark of light and life that he loved.
A.N.- If you want to picture how I pictured Newt and Bella, I pictured them as Thomas Sangster and Isabella Melling, the real life super adorable couple. Let me know how you liked it? And yeah, that's it. Review, Message, Favorite, Follow, anything!